Ohio Women’s Golf Wraps up Day One of Mid-American Match Play Challenge

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – The Ohio women's golf team opened up its spring season at the 2018 Mid-American Match Play Challenge hosted by Bowling Green at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. The seventh-seeded Bobcats opened the day by defeating 10th-seeded Dayton, 3-1-1. Ohio then concluded the day by falling to No. 2 Florida Golf Coast 4-1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The Bobcats opened the morning taking on Dayton. Ashley Flynn (Dublin, Ohio) opened the competition by taking on Makenzie George in a match that finished all squared. Next, Marissa Balish (Allison Park, Pa.) defeated Alexandra Bozich, 3UP.

The next pairing saw Emily Connors defeat Emily Hughes (Columbus, Ohio) 4&3, followed by Lily Pendy (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) coming out on top of Emma Meyer, 4&3. The Bobcats wrapped up the matchup with Dayton with Nicole Smiley (Dublin, Ohio) defeating Ellie Cronin, 6&5, with Ohio coming out on top with the final of 3-1-1.

Later in the day the Bobcats took on the second-seeded FGCU in the quarterfinals. The round opened with Flynn falling to Ashley Kimbrough, 7&5, followed by Kelsy Holbert defeating Balish, 3&1.

Hughes finished her day by defeating Madison Easterbrook, 3&1.

The final two matchups for the Bobcats saw Pendy fall to Natalia Nassar, 1UP and Madeline Mack-Sherk defeat Smiley 4&3, with the Bobcats ultimately falling to the Eagles, 4-1-0.

The Bobcats wrap up competition on Tuesday, Feb. 6 in the consolation bracket when Ohio takes on the eighth-seeded UNC Ashville beginning at 7:50 a.m. Fans can follow along on golfstat.com, with results being updated after every nine holes.